I Want to Cook...But, Where Do I Begin: Part 3 -- Cooking Up Confidence
Alright, so, you've got your supplies and food to cook up a great meal. Feeling nervous? That's ok. I want to share with you how I've learned to be a confident cook so that maybe you can utilize some of these strategies.
First, and probably most important, is practice. Yes, you've got to practice cooking! How did I get the practice to be a confident cook? A lot of the practice (and thus the confidence) comes from years of being in the kitchen. My mom is an awesome cook and she always had us kids in the kitchen with her stirring up a pot of pasta sauce or keeping an eye on what was baking in the oven. Mastering these little tasks helped me to gain the confidence to cook some pretty basic and simple meals on my own by the time I got to middle school (tomato soup & grilled cheese or tacos, for example). We also never went out to dinner; it was just too expensive for a family of six. So, my mom cooked almost every night and it was always something delicious, yet simple. Between running 4 kids to sports and activities and teaching religious ed or sitting on the local youth football league committees, dinner HAD to be practical for my mom - quick, easy, and something 4 kids would eat. Working alongside her in the kitchen, practicing easy meals, and learning little tips and tricks like how long to heat up a pan or finding the perfect simmering point on my mom's stove helped me to graduate to larger or more complicated meals. SO many of my most delicious recipes come from my mom, and I learned to make them and feel confident doing so by being in the kitchen with her and practicing. I'm forever grateful for this (although I probably hated it as a kid) because I now feel like cooking for my family every night and preparing basic yet tasty meals is absolutely attainable for me. The practicing part is often trial and error, so start with simple things and follow recipes! If you can master some simple recipes, you'll gain both the practice and confidence you need to move on to something that is a bit more complicated.
Second, confidence comes from good outcomes. But, in order to get good outcomes, you have to cook. Cook for someone who you know will be an easy critic. My husband eats just about anything. He has MAYBE critiqued my food one or twice in our 13 years together, but he always chows down anything I make. Good food = good outcomes. But good outcomes also allows you to feel good about what you did, thus boosting your confidence.
Third, observation. Observe SOMEONE who you admire in the kitchen. This could be your mom, your sister, a friend, your grandma. Anyone. You can learn a lot by watching. I did this with both my mom and grandma. They are both good cooks, so I learned a lot about what TO DO, but they are also human and have made mistakes in the kitchen. Observing their mistakes helped me learn what NOT to do.
Fourth, watch The Food Network. I'm 100% serious here. My husband and I frequently watch this channel. I began watching with my brother when we lived together in college. He loves food and also thinks he's a self-taught chef (this meant I was always his sous chef. Cue the eye roll). Regardless, I got hooked on this channel. I enjoyed watching the TV personalities on The Food Network and I began to learn a whole lot about cooking that I had not known before. I learned little tips and tricks. (For example, roll garlic cloves vigorously between your fingers to get the skin off). I also watched PROFESSIONALS make small mistakes and learn that there's usually something you can do to fix it. (Make a homemade pasta sauce that's a bit too salty? Just add a small amount of sugar to taste). I got my husband hooked on the channel and he's learned a ton about what to do in the kitchen so he feels confident to make some really basic meals and put his own spin on it.
Finally, don't be afraid. Most cooking mistakes can be fixed. Something that is too salty can usually be toned down. If you burn something, chances are you probably have enough of that particular ingredient to quickly start over. Mistakes happen, and many can be reversed. You've just got to start small to build up your confidence and before you know it, you'll feel confident enough to cook a homemade meal for your guests.
First, and probably most important, is practice. Yes, you've got to practice cooking! How did I get the practice to be a confident cook? A lot of the practice (and thus the confidence) comes from years of being in the kitchen. My mom is an awesome cook and she always had us kids in the kitchen with her stirring up a pot of pasta sauce or keeping an eye on what was baking in the oven. Mastering these little tasks helped me to gain the confidence to cook some pretty basic and simple meals on my own by the time I got to middle school (tomato soup & grilled cheese or tacos, for example). We also never went out to dinner; it was just too expensive for a family of six. So, my mom cooked almost every night and it was always something delicious, yet simple. Between running 4 kids to sports and activities and teaching religious ed or sitting on the local youth football league committees, dinner HAD to be practical for my mom - quick, easy, and something 4 kids would eat. Working alongside her in the kitchen, practicing easy meals, and learning little tips and tricks like how long to heat up a pan or finding the perfect simmering point on my mom's stove helped me to graduate to larger or more complicated meals. SO many of my most delicious recipes come from my mom, and I learned to make them and feel confident doing so by being in the kitchen with her and practicing. I'm forever grateful for this (although I probably hated it as a kid) because I now feel like cooking for my family every night and preparing basic yet tasty meals is absolutely attainable for me. The practicing part is often trial and error, so start with simple things and follow recipes! If you can master some simple recipes, you'll gain both the practice and confidence you need to move on to something that is a bit more complicated.
Second, confidence comes from good outcomes. But, in order to get good outcomes, you have to cook. Cook for someone who you know will be an easy critic. My husband eats just about anything. He has MAYBE critiqued my food one or twice in our 13 years together, but he always chows down anything I make. Good food = good outcomes. But good outcomes also allows you to feel good about what you did, thus boosting your confidence.
Third, observation. Observe SOMEONE who you admire in the kitchen. This could be your mom, your sister, a friend, your grandma. Anyone. You can learn a lot by watching. I did this with both my mom and grandma. They are both good cooks, so I learned a lot about what TO DO, but they are also human and have made mistakes in the kitchen. Observing their mistakes helped me learn what NOT to do.
Fourth, watch The Food Network. I'm 100% serious here. My husband and I frequently watch this channel. I began watching with my brother when we lived together in college. He loves food and also thinks he's a self-taught chef (this meant I was always his sous chef. Cue the eye roll). Regardless, I got hooked on this channel. I enjoyed watching the TV personalities on The Food Network and I began to learn a whole lot about cooking that I had not known before. I learned little tips and tricks. (For example, roll garlic cloves vigorously between your fingers to get the skin off). I also watched PROFESSIONALS make small mistakes and learn that there's usually something you can do to fix it. (Make a homemade pasta sauce that's a bit too salty? Just add a small amount of sugar to taste). I got my husband hooked on the channel and he's learned a ton about what to do in the kitchen so he feels confident to make some really basic meals and put his own spin on it.
Finally, don't be afraid. Most cooking mistakes can be fixed. Something that is too salty can usually be toned down. If you burn something, chances are you probably have enough of that particular ingredient to quickly start over. Mistakes happen, and many can be reversed. You've just got to start small to build up your confidence and before you know it, you'll feel confident enough to cook a homemade meal for your guests.
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